Seattle Family Calendar
Subscribe
School is back in session, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end! There’s still plenty of budget-friendly outings to enjoy from waterfront tours and celebrations to art and stories in nature, touch-a-truck events, cultural fests, salmon viewing and more. So, plan to soak up some September sunshine and check out my top 25 free things to do around Seattle this month.
Note: Some activities require preregistration and can fill up quickly.
Salmon Viewing at Ballard Locks
Dates: Throughout September
The salmon are swimming! It’s a great time to view our fishy friends as they migrate upstream through the fish ladder at the Ballard Locks. Several species, including Chinook, king, coho, silver and sockeye, are making their journey now.
Free All-Ages Zumba on the Waterfront
Dates and time: Wednesdays through Sept. 30, 6–7:30 p.m.
You and the kids can get moving to music from all over the world at a 90-minute all-ages Zumba class held at Pier 62. Enjoy the view and sunshine and have fun while working on conditioning, flexibility and balance.
Apple-A-Day at Tacoma’s Broadway Farmers Market
Dates and time: Thursdays, Sept. 3–24, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Encourage your kids to eat healthy by bringing them to the Tacoma Farmers Market on Broadway. Kids ages 3–16 years receive a $1 Apple-A-Day token they can use to buy a fruit or vegetable of their choice. Yum!
Marine Mammal Stewards Program With SR3
Dates: Friday–Saturday, Sept. 4–26
Explore the wonders of marine animals in the wild with staff from the Marine Mammals program at Des Moines Beach. Borrow a pair of binoculars and see if you can spot seals or whales, play fun games and learn how to protect our local sea life.
Great Northern & Cascade Railway Free Mini Train Rides
Dates and time: Saturdays, Sept. 5–26, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Pile the family in the car, head out on a little day trip to Skykomish’s Great Northern & Cascade Railway and treat your train-loving brood to a free ride aboard a mini train. The trains run on Saturdays through October.
City of Renton’s 125th Birthday Celebration
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 6, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Join friends, neighbors and the community at Liberty Park to celebrate the City of Renton’s 125th birthday with games, live music, cake and fun activities for all.
Bicycle Weekends on Lake Washington Boulevard
Dates: Through Sept. 7
Labor Day weekend is your last chance this summer for a lakeside family bike ride along a car-free stretch of Lake Washington Boulevard through some of Seattle’s most popular spots for recreation, including Colman, Mount Baker and Seward Parks. So, grab your helmets and take to the pavement!
Concerts at the Arboretum
Dates and time: Tuesdays, Sept. 1 and 8, 6–7 p.m.
Head to the Lake Wilderness Arboretum for an outdoor concert in a gorgeous setting. You and the kids can groove to family-friendly music featuring local musicians, singers and songwriters.
Fairwood Market Night
Date and time: Wednesday, Sept. 9, 4–8 p.m.
Catch the latest Fairwood Market Night where the theme is “Blast into the Future.” Expect STEM and tech activities along with artists, musicians and entertainers. This monthly community pop-up gathering at Northwood Middle School promises a fun time for all.
Spotlight at the Waterfront Park
Dates and time: Thursdays, Sept. 3–24, 6–8 p.m.
With pop-up cultural performances at Pier 58, the Spotlight on the Waterfront summer series continues for one final month with something for everyone. Turn up for an evening of performances by women, a musical celebration from Northwest Folklife, Indigenous arts and more.
World Rhythm Festival
Dates: Friday–Sunday, Sept. 11–13
The World Rhythm Festival returns to Rainier Arts Center, Royal Room, Southside Commons and Columbia Park for three days of multicultural drum and dance performances and workshops. Don’t skip a single beat and bring the whole crew to take part.
Indonesia Day
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 12, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Turn up for the second annual Indonesia Day at Asia Pacific Cultural Center. There will be fashion, dance performances, a kids craft corner, food and more at this family-friendly celebration of Indonesian culture.
Touch-A-Truck events
Dates: Sept. 12, 19 and 26
There is a truckload of Touch-A-Truck events going on around the region in September. So, gather your big rig-obsessed kiddos and head to one near you: Tacoma, Stanwood, Marysville, Bothell and Kirkland.
Free Community Play Day
Date and time: Sunday, Sept. 13, noon–3 p.m.
If active fun is more your speed, head to the Tukwila Community Center for a day of play full of sports, games and fun activities. Everything from basketball and street hockey to nature exploration and circus activities are on the agenda.
Sky Valley Heritage Hunt
Dates: Ongoing
Sign up for a self-guided adventure through participating Highway 2 communities from Monroe to Skyhomish. Using your phone, you will scan QR codes at official stops to learn about each location, answer trivia and track your progress. So, gather your crew and hit the road!
Normandy Park Owl Prowl at Marine View Park
Date and time: Thursday, Sept. 17, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Prowl for owls with your crew at Normandy Park’s Marine View Park. This all-ages, hands-on experience includes a guided walk, owl introduction, tracking and observation, and pellet dissection with a naturalist from the South Sound Nature School. It’ll be a hoot! Preregister.
Washington Ganesh Festival
Dates: Friday–Sunday, Sept. 18–20
The Redmond Ganesh Festival returns this year to Marymoor Park as the Washington Ganesh Festival with an even grander and more immersive experience in mind. Preregister to join this Hindu celebration of new beginnings with cultural performances, a parade, star-studded entertainment and more.
Walk Don’t Run
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m.–7:30 p.m.
Be a part of this open-to-the-public art, music and performance day spanning over 20 city blocks of downtown Seattle from Westlake Park to Occidental Square, where more than 200 artists will be performing.
Pride in the Patch
Date: Sunday, Sept. 20, noon–4 p.m.
Celebrate fall with pride at the Snoqualmie Depot, where Snovalley Pride is hosting a harvest fest in the spirit of community and belonging with a marketplace, food trucks, live music, live unicorns and more.
Made in Bellevue
Date and time: Wednesdays, Sept 9 and 23, noon–2 p.m.
Flex your creative muscles at drop-in crafting sessions that take place twice-monthly through October at the Meadow in Bellevue. Activities like making flower bouquets and customizing trucker hats are available on a walk-up basis, so arrive early to secure a spot.
Kuumba Gatherings
Date and time: Thursday, Sept. 24, 4–7:30 p.m.
Be part of this craft-focused, creative gathering celebrating the spirit of Kwanzaa year-round. Bring your own project to King Street Station to work on or use provided supplies to make your own masterpiece.
Opera Center Open House
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 26, 1–4 p.m.
Explore the Seattle Opera Center and all the great work happening there during an open house where you can get a behind-the-scenes look at the prop and costume departments, make crafts, take in performances, and even participate in a sing-along!
Sustainamania
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Get the family inspired to make changes for a more sustainable lifestyle to help our planet at Bothell’s annual Sustainamania taking place at City Hall Plaza. Look forward to Touch-A-Truck, live music, arts and crafts, and games as well.
World Parrot Expo
Dates: Saturday–Sunday, Sept. 26–27
Find activities for the whole family at a free parrot expo held at Emerald Downs. Play parrot games, visit the aviary and learn more about these fascinating feathered friends.
Free Admission Wednesdays at NW Railway Museum
Date and time: Wednesdays, Sept. 2–30, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Check out the 25,000-square-foot Train Shed Exhibit Hall at the Northwest Railway Museum and view the extensive collection of locomotives, passenger cars, freight cars, maintenance equipment and other displays that show how the railway changed the Pacific Northwest. Through Dec. 16.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in February 2024, and was most recently updated on Aug. 26, 2026, to include 25 new, exciting free things to do in Seattle in September for families by ParentMap’s calendar editor, Julie Dodobara. Event dates, times and locations were cross-checked and verified by our editor.
